Training Log Archive: TomN

Canadian Nationals, Long Course 7a. Worser and worser. On the long leg from 2 to 3, I was committed to the trail route from the water stop around to the south and west, until at the last second I decided to cut the corner where the trail goes around the big hill. I can't explain what happened next. I went up the big reentrant on the northeast side of the hill, and suddenly found myself at the circular pond below the lake, way to the north of where I was supposed to be. Should have been an easy shot to the control from there, but wasn't, and I found myself at the power lines, again way to the north. What is this, the twilight zone? Maybe the power lines pulled my compass needle. Relocating to the trail junction finally got me to the control, probably 15 minutes lost.

Another error on #8, an easy control and I was just being disgusted with myself and unable to concentrate. Took the trail all the way to the south and back up to #9 (what I should have done from 2 to 3) and didn't have too bad a time.

Last mistake was a good one, I ran from 11 to 2 instead of to 12. Spiked the control, too, good navigating. Crikeys.

Long Course 7a - Splits

Canadian Nationals, Middle Course 7a. After a shaky start to #1 I ran very well in the technical area, and was in 4th place after 7 controls. Then we went down into the mud, and all was lost. It wasn't even one particular control -- I messed up on 8, 9, and 11, and the only reason I did well on 10 was because I'd already seen it 3 times. Sure, I fell for the course setter's trick on the transition to the different terrain, but there's no excuse for what happened after that. Terrible navigation and increasing desperation.

Middle Course 7a - Splits

Event: 2013 Nationals (Hamilton, CANADA)
 

Canadian Nationals, Sprint Course 3b. Three mistakes. First, the hardest maze route hit us right out of the start triangle, and I flubbed it. I thought the solution was to go up the stairs next to the building about half-way through, but that was fenced off. So, back down and through the overhang on the next building over. Second, I couldn't find the tree on #9. Crossed one too many paths and got into the reentrant before turning around. Clever course setters -- the control wasn't visible from below. Third, and worst of all, I missed the gate into the field for the go control, and ran around the outside of the fence just opposite the control before I realized the problem. So, 2 minutes of mistakes and that's where all the action was.

Sprint Course 3b - Splits